When the Michigan tundra begins to thaw and a walk to class becomes almost bearable again, you know that can only mean one thing. That's right, it's time for spring, and that means spring movies - films that generally are not good enough for post-Memorial Day release, or simply could not match up against the Christmas crop.
A la "Star Wars," major studios have decided to give other movies a second chance. Can you smell the lasagna? Paramount is re-releasing "The Godfather" this March with a touched up print and remixed sound. What's that you say Mrs. Robinson? "The Graduate" also will be introduced to a new generation on the big screen.
So, what are the movies on which the major studios are banking? Let's start off with the never-ending barrage of natural disaster films. "Volcano" has been given a May release date, which may turn out to be too late for Tommy Lee Jones' latest. "Volcano" will be the third movie dealing with the explosive topic. "Dante's Peak" and ABC's "Volcano: Fire on the Mountain" will most definitely have soaked up all desire to watch lava flow for two hours by May.
"The Flood" brings the terrifying world of water to the big screen with Christian Slater and Morgan Freeman. What happens to the people of a small town when the torrential rains strike? They get wet. And the biggest natural disaster of all, Howard Stern and his "Private Parts," will be on display March 7.
The comedy continues with Jim Carrey in "Liar Liar." Fans need not worry about this being another dark comedy like "Cable Guy." Carrey is back, working on his old schtick. This time, he is a fibbing lawyer who is forced - by the magic of his son's birthday wish - to not lie for one day. Wackiness ensues.
Tim Allen, who proved to be a huge movie draw with "The Santa Clause," is in "Jungle2Jungle." Tim imports a teen-age son, who was raised in Venezuela, to the Big Apple (See "Crocodile Dundee"). Wackiness ensues again.
All of the "Friends" have had their own movie, so you may ask, "Where is Phoebe?" Lisa Kudrow and Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino appear in "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion." The two gals are slackers who glam up for an impending reunion, only to be proven frauds by a scheming Janeane Garofalo. Yet again, wackiness ensues.
The latest salaries for Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger show that the real money to be made is in the action-adventure genre. Val Kilmer and Elizabeth Shue star in a very cool spy movie, "The Saint."
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt will star in the problematic "Devil's Own." Though this movie, about a cop (Ford) trying to save his IRA soldier-friend (Pitt), is basically guaranteed to be a smash, it has run into numerous problems. From Pitt bad-mouthing the movie in an interview (he called it "an irresponsible bit of filmmaking"), to fights between Pitt and Ford, this film seems to have been a production nightmare.
Possibly the most expensive movie to be released in between Christmas and Memorial Day, "The Fifth Element" is action-adventure staple Bruce Willis' newest. Co-starring alongside the ever-spooky Gary Oldman, Willis plays a cab driver in search of the elusive, and all-important fifth element in a futuristic world.
And in case all of this is not good enough for you, you can see the human billboard Dennis 'Please, call me Denise' Rodman as a weapons expert in Jean-Claude's newest, "Double Team."
From the "Didn't I Already See This?" file comes Wesley Snipes' "Murder At 1600." In the latest anti-president movie (see the recent "Absolute Power"), a White House employee is killed, and everyone from the chief to the butler is suspected. However, it really would not be very interesting if the butler did it, would it?
A suspenseful "Nightwatch" that is sure to be popular with the collegiate audience stars "Trainspotting"'s Ewan McGregor as a morgue night-watchman who gets in trouble when bodies begin piling up.
The emotional movies are plentiful this spring, ranging from the tear-jerking ("Inventing The Abbotts") to the jerkingly psychotic ("Crash"). "Abbotts" stars Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix in a romantic drama that shows love can break class barriers.
And then there is "Paradise Road," whose creators are apparently trying to find the narrowest target audience ever. The movie is about women prisoners in a Japanese camp during WWII who fight back by - singing? Glenn Close, Oscar nominee Frances McDormand and "ER"'s Julianne Margulies head this all-star, all-female cast.
The controversial movie "Crash" will finally be hitting screens in the United States this spring. The movie, about a few folks who get their ya-yas out by re-enacting famous auto wrecks (i.e. James Dean and Jayne Mansfield), has been showing all over the world, but Ted Turner has been trying to censor the movie due to its violent and disturbing material.
Other notable movies hitting theaters this spring include "That Old Feeling," starring Bette Midler, and a documentary about the rap and hip-hop industry, titled "Rhyme and Reason."
Remember, see these movies while you can. Come Memorial Day, none of these Davids will be able to slay Goliath: Spielberg's "The Lost World" devours all competition on May 25.
Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow star in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."
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| Ewan McGregor in "Nightwatch." | Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix explore their love in "Inventing the Abbotts." |
